


RE: Efflorescence

by pinkusako



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure, Background Relationships, But still Natsu, Cults, Dark Guilds, Death, Draconic - Freeform, Dragons, Etherious Natsu, Eventual Happy Ending?, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fairy Tail background characters, Fairy Tail guild hall, Fairy Tail minor characters, Family, Fluff and Angst, Freyaja, Human Trafficking, Hurt/Comfort, Job requests, Mating Bites, Mating Bond, Mature Natsu, Memory Loss, Minor Original Character(s), Mutual Pining, Mythology References, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, References to Norse Mythology, Romance, S-Class Mage Trials (Fairy Tail), Sexual Content, Slice of Life at times, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Tenrou tree, Time Travel, Torture, Traveling, Using Latin as an old lost language of the Draconic, WoW Dragon flight references, WoW Spell names References, WoW mythology references, World Tree, Ygdrassil, Yggdrasil - Freeform, demon Natsu, semi-canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 03:14:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28736313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkusako/pseuds/pinkusako
Summary: Zeref once had a family, but he lost it all.Zeref set out to create beings that could kill his cursed self and bring Earthland to its end. He created the Etherious, but one demon he made different from those that had come before. From his own flesh, blood, and cursed fire. At the moment of its birth, the demon split into two, with the older one's hair turning pink from absorbing so much ethernano. He had deemed the older one, Natsu, a failure for having the ability to use something outside of curses. Ultimately Natsu proved he was anything but and became the Master and King of all demons, his cruelty, and apathy were known far and wide.Zeref found his daughter had survived, and thus he stopped his pursuit.Hundreds of years later, a descendant of Zeref, awoke alone on a summer night in the year of X777. Without any memories, she cries her sorrows away under the moonlight.She comes to remember her name, Freya, and Natsu's.Upon her travels, she comes across an old lady, that she came to call Granny and spends the winter with her. Upon her first night of staying with Granny, she remembers Natsu's full name. Come spring, she sets out to find the boy behind the name.
Relationships: Natsu Dragneel/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 4





	1. Life That Once was, Becomes Death

**Author's Note:**

> I'm in the midst of rewriting one of my fanfics, Efflorescence. However since this will be different but somewhat the same overarching story, I decided to keep the old one and post this as a completely new work. 
> 
> If your new to this story overall, you don't need to read the original unless you want to for whatever reason. If you know of the old one, you will need to read this new one. This will also go past the last chapter I posted either on here and on fanfiction.net of the old one and I promise to eventually finish this new one. I really want to get this off my heart and mind, and I'm ready to finally do so.
> 
> Overall I'm unhappy with my old work and have been working on and off to improve it over the years and straightening things out in my notes and such. Been a long time coming!
> 
> I don't remember where this idea came to me anymore, but I know I was obviously inspired by Fairy Tail. Then of course Norse Mythology, Roman Mythology, Greek Mythology, World of Warcraft, multiple songs, and numerous other things. 
> 
> I also started this years ago to practice writing so one day I could write my own novel.

**Chapter One:**

**Life That Once Was, Becomes Death**

**-X365-**

**July 7th**

* * *

Everything Zeref had known and loved was being ripped away from him. All he could do was watch Yggdrasil wither and die, consuming the city as it crumbled.

He clutched his dead mate to his chest crying out while on his knees. His cries and screams drowned out by the fire, explosions, and screams as everything was meeting its gruesome end. The smell of death soon flooded his nose causing him to choke even more on the dusty and smokey thick air.

Zeref was unsure how much time passed as it felt like an eternity. He soon felt a tremendous heat radiating down upon him as he sat there lamenting. Slowly he looked up through the locks of hair that had fallen in his face with his eyes widening in horror.

The herald of this apocalypse hovering in the sky, the black dragon of death himself casting a shadow onto the ground. There was no escaping it as Zeref watched a blinding light engulf the landscape.

He quickly threw his whole body across his mate, shielding her as he gritted his teeth from the pain of his flesh searing. His head swirled from the pain and soon passed out.

An eerie silence had settled over the landscape as Zeref came to, coughing. Tears began anew from his eyes, as he felt an unbearable searing pain from his back. His flesh slowly was healing closing over the exposed muscle and bone.

As painfully pulled himself up, resting on his elbows, the robe that he had been clothed in crumbling to ash. He looked down at his lifeless mate as he felt his sanity slipping away, his eyes slowly turning from black to red.

A new pain was beginning to grip him as his tears dripped down on to the maiden below him. Shakily he cupped her cheek as he hovered above her. Her skin was already growing cold under his touch.

He had tried so desperately using his life-binding magic to bring her back before Yggdrasil fell. Agony was beginning to grip his soul amplifying each passing second.

"I..." Zeref's voice quivered. He would never be able to accept or come to grips with losing her. Even more so he failed to bring her back. He couldn't speak the words aloud.

He looked up and out over the horizon. As far as he could see the earth lit aflame with ash slowly falling down coating everything in a silent blanket. There was absolutely nothing left. Just the dead husk of Yggdrasil, crumbled buildings, and mangled burnt corpses.

He felt as if he was in the deepest layer of hell. Ragnarok had come and gone. It came as quickly as a brief summer thunderstorm before whimpering and fizzling out.

Zeref fell back down onto the corpse of who used to be the love of his life unable to process it all.

His mind was breaking along with his soul cracking under the weight of it all. The more his body shook from the pain, the more the red seeped into his eyes.

Soon he sat upon his knees grasping his throat as it began to close from hyperventilating. His heart threatening to burst out of his chest.

The darkness slowly crept into his once gentle soul as he felt himself begin to drown in his own emotions. The loss of his mate, his family, his people, and everything he has ever known finally pushed him over the edge, causing his soul to snap as he finally enraged.

The air around him began to swirl as his magic began to swell inside of him, pouring out in waves. His eyes were fully red from him entering a stage of berserk. Raven scales prickled up from his skin on the side of his face and neck. His draconic features taking over as he took his hybrid form with his draconic armor appearing as well.

A face that once held immense sorrow now held an intense hatred and rage.

"This miserable world..." Zeref growled out to the dead air. He spread his black and red opaque wings as he gave in to his hatred and welcoming the newfound fury. "Will beg for mercy as I wash it of its many sins." He would give the world the same hell it has gave onto him.

Gifting magic upon the humans had been a mistake. He saw that clearly now. It ate away at their humanity and led to this tragedy.

As Zeref stretched his wings he knelt down on last time and placed a light kiss on his love's cool forehead on more time, taking in her form. Her body was slowly beginning to fade as her auburn hair was blowing in the hot wind. How he yearned and wished to look into her golden yellow eyes once more. One more time he wished he could see and hear her smile and laughter. Just one more time.

He turned his head away as she completely faded taking off into the distance as he did so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a fanart I had commissioned years ago. It's of Natsu and Freya with Natsu being 17-18 and Freya being 16.
> 
> https://www.deviantart.com/xiafei/art/Commission-Pinkusagi07-685114256


	2. Birth of Flames and Death

**Chapter Two:**

**Birth of Flames and Death**

**-X370-**

**July 23rd, the first day of Summer**

* * *

Zeref slowly approached the tank filled with a blue viscous liquid that had a suspended mass of his flesh and blood. In his hand, he held a black flame that he had corrupted with a demonic curse.

He had created the place he was currently at for him to create demons that would finally grant his wishes. He supposed in a way this place he created was a demon itself. An almost living and breathing fortress that he had named after the underworld, Tartaros.

Zeref had also created away for his demons to constantly be reborn within this fortress should they ever come to meet their demise by some unknown factor. That in itself had taken a couple of years and had been a massive undertaking. 

It seemed with today being the birth of his greatest creation, was fate as it was the first day of summer, the day he had met his mate, Flora.

Zeref flicked his wrist, sending the flame above and down into the tank. The reaction was almost instant, causing the tank to shatter and the liquid to instantly evaporate.

Zeref's dead red eyes stared in wonderment. _"Finally"_ He thought, as the demon came to life. After all his experiments, failures, and creations, this had to be the one. He had spent so many months pouring everything he knew into this one creation. It would be the first and only time he would use his own flesh and blood to create a demon.

He had faith that this would be the one that would finish bringing the world to its knees. The one that could overcome his immorality, this curse he has become afflicted with and kill him. The one to end his misery so he could finally pass into the eternal golden plains. Though he was unsure if he would pass into the realm of the golden fields or if he would be tossed into hell for his transgressions and sins. It was the same god that had cursed him, the one that had forced his hand, the one that had thrown this world into the chaotic hell it had become would also have a say in his fate in life after death.

It was almost laughably pathetic that the other gods had done so little to interfere, allowing Ankhseram the free reign he held over this world now. 

However, his thoughts were interrupted and his expectations went out the window as the demon began to split, creating twins. The one that took a form quicker, his black hair instantly became pink, puzzling Zeref.

Within moments, his single greatest creation became two. Unmistakably two young adult male twins.

Zeref eyed the two as they were both on their knees, gasping for air. Zeref waited with bated breath for them each to come to.

He grew increasingly concerned as the oldest, the one with salmon-colored hair had magic within his body along with the curse powers he had gifted him.

He tolled away at it within his mind. He never intended to create a demon that was capable of magic. Something he now believed that wore away at one's sanity, in particular humanity. 

He thought back to where he went wrong. His life-binding wasn't as strong as Flora's, the mate he had lost years ago now. He had to use ethernano as the building blocks for his creations, but once he had fused whatever curse power he chose, it had always choked out the magic.

This time to create the most powerful demon he could, he used his own flesh and blood along with the ethernano building blocks. Once he had gifted his creation with the curse of demonic black fire, this creation had exploded into life. Unlike the ones he created in the past which took time to incubate. Somewhere within the reaction as it came into being it split into what was now in front of him.

The oldest one slowly opened his red eyes looking up to his creator through his hanging salmon locks.

Zeref was slightly taken back at how his red eyes were dragon eyes. Though truthfully he should have expected it since he was born from him after all.

The youngest also opened his eyes shortly after his older brother with them also being the same.

The oldest stared coldly at Zeref for a moment. His head was throbbing from all the knowledge that had been gifted to him. Well, he wouldn't say gifted, more of the knowledge had been forcibly crammed into him.

He felt strange. Almost an overwhelming desire to kill the strange man before him and he felt repulsed by it. It had been carved into his soul and it disgusted him that his creator was attempting to control his actions and fate.

His eyes twitched to the side of him and saw who he knew to be his younger brother. He instantly felt a disgust he couldn't quite describe.

The youngest twin turned his head to look at his older brother and then to the man that had birthed him. His brother felt different than to himself. Something more than either of them but also something less or so he viewed in his mind.

"The oldest will be called Natsu Dragneel. In honor of the season, I once had found love and after a dragon named Igneel who had been a mentor to me." Zeref finally spoke up breaking the silence. He had the name picked before he had sat out upon creating him as it a deeper meaning than any of the other demons he had named. He was sure however that Igneel would not appreciate a demon being named after him, especially one that he had created for the pure destruction of Earthland and that of himself.

Though nothing really came to mind about the youngest. He after all didn't expect twins to be born. He thought perhaps he would wait for the youngest to come to before deciding what to name him.

Natsu only glared at Zeref as different emotions came across his face. Anger, disgust, resentment, and hate.

The youngest began to come to his senses and recognized his full purpose. It was clear in his head. To his creator and to choke this world with a blanket of death.

"Do you understand why I have created the two of you?" Zeref questioned them patiently. They would after all be his salvation, the ones who would free him from this. He would wait for them to come into their own if it meant his so desired death would come.

Natsu furrowed his brows and slowly stood upcoming face to face with Zeref. "You can fuck off for all I give a shit." Natsu spat at him as he bumped shoulders with Zeref slowly walking away and out of the chamber. He could hardly contain his fury over something being demanded of him. Black flame curse marks spread across his body as black horns slowly grew up and out of his pink locks. His true demonic form taking hold.

The youngest gritted his teeth at his brother's defiant actions.

"Another failure then I'm afraid then." Zeref lamented quietly as he looked down at the stone floor of his laboratory.

Natsu's ear twitched upon hearing Zeref's whisper causing him to quickly turn around and storm up to Zeref. Natsu grabbed him by his robes and slamming him to the ground. Blood splattered across the floor and began to trickle out of the back of Zeref's head.

"Failure?!" Natsu could barely contain his voice roaring out into the echoing chamber. "Failure?" If Natsu's words could poison they would have as he questioned. "I'll show you failure!" He gritted his teeth in fury as he brought Zeref closer to his face.

The youngest stood and quickly lunged for Natsu but Natsu only held out his hand sending out black flames to push him back. He knew it wouldn't do anything to his younger brother but would hold him at bay at least.

Zeref tried to mentally exert his control over his creation as he could all his creations but found Natsu's will to be unbreakable. It puzzled him as he knew the command to kill him was there but yet Natsu was somehow overpowering the purpose he had been created for.

Zeref soon found his head swirling no doubt from the concussion and blood loss. He wished if only it would be enough for him to die. He had tried every way imaginable to kill himself but he was always denied the eternal slumber by the god that had come to curse him.

Natsu let Zeref's robes slip from his fingers seeing that the man was beginning to lose consciousness. He had felt that he had tried to control him. It took everything he had to block it out. He felt so conflicted with all the emotions that swirled within him causing a certain sadness to creep into his cursed soul. He felt lost with nowhere to go and with no true purpose, other than the one he denied.

The black flames that had swirled out of his sputtered out. It didn't go unnoticed his nameless brother didn't have a single mark from his attack but the surrounding area that had come into contact with his cursed flames had melted or was still burning.

As Natsu walked away the youngest clamored to Zeref who was slowly slipping into a coma so his body could heal and repair the damage, mainly that to his brain.

Zeref's red eyes softened upon seeing the youngest kneeling over him. "And what about you?" His voice trailing off.

"I will see that your will be done."

Zeref summoned what strength he had left to reach up and touch the cheek of the demon. Though now he supposed he was his angel, the one that would bring his salvation. The youngest also seemed to bear more of a resemblance to himself. Before his consciousness faded, he sucked in a shaky breath. "Then I shall call you Seraph. Seraph Aesir."

Zeref's hand dropped with his eyes finally rolling back into his skull.

"As you wish." Seraph found the irony in his name, as he was far from being "angel of the gods". He was going to be anything but that, but perhaps in his creator's eyes, he was viewed as such.

Natsu had long left the two of them and Seraph's mind wandered for a moment. He clearly knew his purpose, they both did, but he felt he couldn't quite fulfill that purpose. At least not yet. He would work and strive to get stronger, though he already felt superior to Natsu as Zeref had claimed and called him a failure.

* * *

As Natsu walked out of Tartaros he pulled a vest over his chest. He had managed to swipe some clothing before he left. Once he slipped the vest on he looked down at his hand for a moment, a wicked smile spreading across his face. It seemed their generous creator had also bestowed a gift upon him and he was sure that his twin did not have what he now felt. It was faintly there, but with enough time and training, he would one day be the master and king of all demons. It felt cathartic as he decided he would turn them all away from Zeref in spite as a form of punishment for trying to control him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seraph: An angel. Can also literally meaning "burning one"
> 
> Aesir: The Norse pantheon that resides in Asgard. It can also mean "of the gods"


	3. Control

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made a mistake with the year last chapter. I had it as 375 when it should have been 370. I've already corrected it but wanted to also clarify in the notes.

** Chapter Three: **

** Control  **

**-X371-**

* * *

Natsu sat on a red plush mahogany wooden chair within the basement of an estate he had commandeered from some human family. Well commandeer was the nice way of putting it. When in reality he killed them and took the place for himself. Though he was surprised to find the lady of the house had been a demon and spared her for his own experiments and amusements.

He had come across it by chance in his travels taking a liking to it. It would serve his purposes. A place for him and him alone. A place where the world's eyes wouldn't search or fall to him as he perfected his technique. He was determined to prove he was anything but a failure and that he alone was the strongest. He would become the master and king of the Etherious demons.

Though the estate was big and he certainly couldn't take care of it alone or have his needs met. Soon he would be king and here would be the start of it. He would have servants soon enough to serve him and care for this place.

A smirk spread across his lips as his red eyes faintly glowed as the chains rattled filling the once silent room with their sounds.

He had been practicing day in and day out on this one demon. Peering into her mind, warping and breaking her will to his.

Natsu sighed as the demon girl thrashed about. Her fighting spirit was certainly annoying and no matter how much he subjected her, over and over, she was still trying to deny and defy him.

"Isa..." Natsu whispered her name, which caused Isa to recoil back as far as the chains would allow. It took him months to get her name to fall from her lips. But slowly he was breaking her defiance, just not as quick as he liked.

Natsu got up and slowly walked over to the demon, his hand gently grabbing a lock of her icy blue hair.

He wasn't ashamed to admit she was a beautiful demon, though he wasn't sure of the purpose Zeref had created her for. She was perhaps just as unique of a demon, like himself, different from the rest. She had exceptional swordsmanship but more importantly, she had the ability to heal demons. As far as Natsu could tell, demons were created for the purpose of killing Zeref and bringing ruin, chaos, and death to this land. She also had no command etched into her soul to do any of those things. All of it struck Natsu as odd.

Isa whipped her head away cause the lock of hair in his fingers to slip through. Her cold icy sakura-colored eyes filled with malice as she stared into Natsu's own eyes.

"It would be easier on you if you just cooperated." Natsu said in an almost sigh. Though it was a blessing he had picked someone so strong-willed for his plan in order to perfect the control over his demon mastery. Breaking her would mean he would be able to bend anyone he wished to his will.

Today he decided he was going to try something else, just to see if he could do it. He was also just curious as to why Zeref made her the way she was. Admittedly he was also curious as to why she had a human family before he killed them.

Natsu was torn from his thoughts by Isa thrashing around in her chains again, trying to break free.

"I'll kill you." Isa's voice trembled but the rage laid beneath it. "I'll kill you!" Isa's voice rang out and echoed within the cool empty basement.

Natsu looked at her with something akin to amusement on his face.

It grew quiet again within the chamber the only sound was water dripping from the manual pump onto the stone floor.

"Yes. I know as that is all you ever say to me." Natsu's eye twitched in annoyance. She just drones on and on and never shuts up about it. Natsu knelt down looking into Isa's eyes. "You were just as powerless then when I killed them, and you're just as powerless now. You'll forever be powerless." Natsu taunted as he reached up grabbing a fist full of hair causing her to cringe from the pain. He pulled her closer to him, their noses touching, and held her there for a moment. "You'll always be under my control."

Tears filled Isa's eyes as the weight of his words began to slowly sink in. Everything she had loved, everything she had wanted, had been stolen from her. Ripped away from her and she couldn't stop it. She was so powerless to stop it and even now. All she could do was watched as those that she loved being consumed by the black flames. Their screams still echo in her head. It didn't matter how much she thrashed on the ground as Natsu held her as they suffered. Every time she closed her eyes all she could see were those horrifying black flames that just ate and ate until it consumed everything.

More than anything she hated herself. More than she hated Natsu and even Zeref for creating such a monster of a demon. If only she had never gone to Zeref, none of this would have happened.

"I think it's time that I broke you." Natsu brought his free hand up and ripped the tattered clothing that clung to her. Isa's eyes widen in a mixture of shock and fear. She couldn't imagine what else the demon could do to break her. She was already broken, but she refused to give in to him.

The chill in the air instantly brought goosebumps on her pale skin.

Isa tried to wiggle out of his grip on her hair but couldn't. She bit her lip, causing blood to seep out of the wound as she looked away in her shame.

"Look at me." Natsu spoke flatly.

Isa remained still with her head hanging low. She cursed how powerless she was. Day by day, little by little, he continues to chip away at her resolve.

Natsu jerked on her hair, getting her attention and once their eyes locked it seemed time for the both of them stood still.

Isa felt a pain in her head. It was different than anything else she had felt before. She had never felt so humiliated and violated. His red eyes looking so deeply into her soul. Searching and seeking something from her mind but as to what she wasn't sure.

Within an instant, Natsu threw her back letting go of her hair as he got up and walked away leaving Isa bewildered over at what happened.

She didn't feel any different nor did she feel him as she felt him before when he had been trying to control her mind. She watched cautiously as Natsu disappeared into the darkness and behind a wall. She prayed they were done for the day.

She sat up pulling her knees to her chest in an effort to cover her nakedness up. Her pale skin illuminated by the red flicking flames of the torches on the wall. She wanted to scream but knew Natsu would strike her in the mouth in order to silence her.

She was so sick. Sick of it all. She just wanted it to be over. She wanted to kill him but knew she would never be able to. So now she just wished he would kill her and be done with it.

Once Natsu was out of sight of Isa he let his breath out in a shudder as he slid down the cold wall. Tears had formed in his eyes and his head felt like it had been split open from all the information he received within that moment.

Looking into her thoughts and memories had been like thousands of books filled with words, pictures, sounds, tastes, and touch being flipped through and suddenly shoved into his own.

He didn't expect it in the least. He thought he would be in control and would leisurely look through her memories for what he wanted, but that backfired.

Natsu gritted his teeth as he held his head. A searing pain was slowly spreading from his brain to his neck and back.

It would seem if he ever wanted to use that he would either need to train and steel himself through it until he mastered it or only use it in certain situations. Either way, he was going to keep that part of what he could do to himself.

Learning to control the Etherious, the demons that Zeref created would be more than enough for him.

For a brief moment, it had him confused as to what was his and what was hers. Those feelings he felt left him feeling even more empty than before. He couldn't understand it nor did he want to. It was all so useless or so he thought. Wasting time and energy on the futility of emotion, especially that of love. The only ones that mattered were hate as it fueled his curse but he only felt indifference most of the time. He was sure most demons would have gotten a rise out of killing but he felt empty doing it and after.

Which in turn fueled his hatred for Zeref for making him this way. "And the bastard thought he could control me." Natsu scoffed. A part of him wished Zeref was also demonic but to his disgust, he was part of that waste of a race, the draconic.

Natsu was thankful that was one thing he didn't inherit from him even though they share the same blood. His demonic curse had thankfully choked it out, or mostly out. He did indeed feel strange and felt he had the capacity for magic though he would never stoop so low as to use it or even entertain the idea.

He soon got up from the floor, wiping his eyes deciding to retire for the night and resume with bending Isa's will tomorrow. He hated to admit but he was getting bored. Bored of this and going round and round with Isa.

He entertained the idea of torturing her. It would certainly wear her will down quicker.

Though once he broke her, he would quickly put her under his control. She was certainly beautiful and her skill would prove to be useful. She could become his servant or maybe even his pet. The thought of making her his pet caused something to stir in him. It would certainly further humiliate Isa.

At the top of the stairs, Natsu lingered for a moment, as he thought he heard a silent sob from Isa but decided to let her stew with the hopelessness for the rest of the night and closed the heavy wooden and iron door.

Natsu then began his walk to the grand staircase made of white and black swirled marble. It was a bit too bright for his tastes, something that he may change later. He headed to the master bedroom as he poured over the thoughts and memories he had seen from Isa.

She certainly had piqued his curiosity now as she had once been human. A human becoming a demon was indeed curious but he was repulsed by it. A lesser race, trying to become something more was absolutely laughable to him but it was something Zeref had done for the woman.

He stripped out of his clothes throwing them on the lounging chair that was next to a room-size window that had the curtains pulled back.

He stood for a moment looking at the grayish snow on the ground. In some spots, the snow was almost black and he assumed it was from all the ash in the air. That seemed to be a constant within this burning world. Skies that were painted red, with gray ash clouds hanging low. Sometimes it would be dirty rain fell from them, sometimes just ash, and on days it was cold it was black and gray snow.

Natsu knew this world is dying. It certainly was a shit world and while it wasn't his problem, magic was fading and dying from the world. He assumed it was from the death of the sacred world tree Yggdrasil and the Etherious roaming wild and free was bringing what was left of the world to its knees. This left the mortal races, especially humanity, dying in rapid numbers from the destruction, and with that destruction brought death and plagues. Even the plants and animals are beginning to die out.

Though he had little concern about it as he was sure he would still go on within the world rather it was dead or not. He was a cursed demon after all.

He supposed it would be spring soon now. Though he was sure spring would never come again with the world the way it was and nor did he care. The seasons were out of balance long before he came into the world, with spring always being the longest. Or perhaps that was what the natural order of things but it would no longer be.

He climbed into thick black covers, his head landing on a black pillow causing his pink locks to highly contrasting against it, even in the dark of night.

Absentmindedly he ran his hand through his wild light salmon hair. It's something he detested about himself. No matter what he tried over the past six months the color seemed to be set. If only his damn body hadn't absorbed so much ethernano, his hair would have been black, a color he would have preferred.

He laid in the firm bed for some time thinking. His glowing red eyes being the only light within the darkness of the room. His thoughts wander from himself to the world, the Etherious, Zeref, and his brother.

It would be a long journey but he would get all of Zeref's creations somewhat under his control to spite him but it would bring him a sick twisted satisfaction. It would be worth it in the end for him at least.

He had no plans for after but he supposed he would find a way to kill time. Maybe he would find delights in killing, or delights in the sexual nature. He supposed there was also always torture, or maybe kill some time with some light destruction. He wouldn't raze the world to the ground since that was also something that Zeref also apparently wanted. Though killing out the draconic, Zeref's race, could be something he was interested in doing. He could only imagine the pain and grief it would bring his creator.

He was free from Zeref and being free was both a blessing and a curse. He had no calling or purpose, or well he does he just denies it and doesn't want to give Zeref the satisfaction of him fulfilling any of his wishes.

Whatever he chose, it would be of his own free will. No one, not even Zeref, would control him or try to control him.

* * *

**Dictionary:**

**Isa:** Strong-willed _(pronounced in different ways but for this story, it's: eye-sa. As in the English word for eye.)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank everyone for the support for the re-telling of Efflorescence. Some of the feedback I've gotten is amazing! I also greatly and deeply appreciate the follows and favs, and for AO3 I appreciate the subscribing, kudos, and bookmarks.
> 
> Anyone is welcomed to give feedback, reviews, or comments. You are also more than welcomed to message me. Also if anyone wants to be a beta reader or help with editing, or even just chatting with me and bouncing ideas back and forth are more than welcome to!
> 
> I hope everyone is still enjoying it thus far and I hope you will continue to enjoy it.
> 
> I'll give a hint as to what to expect next chapter - Natsu will meet Freya face to face for the first time in the past. How you ask? Well if you read the original you might know how and why Freya ended up in the past. Very angsty! I hope that you will look forward to it!


	4. Once Upon a Time, I Had Met You Before

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank my beta reader, Psilocybinlemon, for helping me with this chapter!

**Chapter Four: Once Upon a Time, I Had Met You Before**

**-X376-**

**December 31st**

* * *

Natsu stood next to his vanity within his room, just on the opposite wall of his bed. He took a warm wet cloth and began to wipe himself off of sweat, bodily fluids, and blood.

He glanced over his shoulder and saw those he had invited into his bed still lingering. "Get out," He spoke sharply.

It irked him to no end that they sought out his praise. _"Did they please him enough? Was there anything else they could do_?"The questions swirled in his head, numbing his brain. It never ended. Though some of his kin had the same idea as him. Get what you want and be done with it.

The male and female demons quickly slid out of the covers and gathered their clothing, obeying their master without question.

Natsu sighed as he finished cleaning himself up, throwing the now dirty cloth into the vanity's water basin. His back was still bleeding from the clawing of nails from the two he taken to bed. Maybe even from some marks from the flogging he had enjoyed.

He plopped down on the end of the bed, rubbing the throbbing temples of his head. It had been a year since he completed his conquest, and he felt more empty. He expected to feel a sense of cathartic, his big fuck you to Zeref, and it did give him a bit of a high but had quickly faded.

It was as if he was in a downward spiral of despair. Nothing made it better. He'd done just about everything his other kin has done, and nothing changed.

It was gnawing at him from the inside. Something wasn't quite right, something was missing, and every time he reached out to grasp whatever it was, it would just slip right through his fingers.

The endless void just kept growing within him. Threatening to swallow him.

No matter what he had done, tried, none of it sated him or his apathy. He felt no connection to anyone or anything within this world.

He clicked his tongue in disgust over how he couldn't even get a good fuck anymore. Male, female, didn't seem to matter. Fucking or being fucked also didn't fill the growing pit of emptiness. His masochistic and sadism tendencies also left him just feeling as empty when before it somewhat brought a sense of pleasure and relief.

It was almost maddening.

He thought he would feel the sweet satisfaction of subjugating all of the Etherious, but that had brought nothing as well. He felt no connection to any of them, not even his brother. To him, they just existed because Zeref created them. While the others seemed to form pacts and like each other, Natsu didn't have that connection. Though he did find his race somewhat amusing for now, so he would leave them be.

A thought stuck Natsu for a moment, but he quickly dismissed it. Him jealous? The idea of it was laughable. He had everything he wanted, except for the one thing that still evaded him. He would find whatever it to be and have it just like how he has everything else.

He was beginning to seriously entertain the idea of killing off the race that Zeref was, the draconic, as another gift from him to his creator. From what he knew, his twin, Seraph, spent his time doing so since he unbound Seraph from Zeref's will.

There was a sharp knock on the door, tearing Natsu from his thoughts as Isa stepped through, closing the door behind her. Her nosed winkled slightly from the smell of sex and blood. She gave a small bow to Natsu before moving towards the bed.

It sickened Isa how everyone clamored to Natsu to win his _affections_ as if he had any give. They would all line up one by one to be fucked by him or to fuck him. He hardly had any favorites and would often be done with them after one night.

It was nothing short of disgusting to her.

Though his brother Seraph seemed more than happy to give his affections to a select few. It appeared, however, for the moment, it was something Natsu was allowing as he usually wanted all the attention himself as he tended to be narcissistic.

She was thankful she hasn't had to "pay" her respects to their master in bed or even to his twin Seraph. While she certainly had a burning hatred for Natsu, Seraph was the worst of the two in her eyes. Or maybe she has come accustomed to Natsu's cruel and violent whims.

Natsu narrowed his eyes, watching Isa approach. She had finally given up trying to kill him, but he was still wary of her. She was always the most difficult to control, even over his twin brother Seraph.

He wanted to be alone in his thoughts for the moment but decided to let Isa heal his back and other cuts and slashes.

Isa pulled up her light pink yukata and sat on her knees to the left side of Natsu. She pulled a small plain black tanto from her white obi. She unsheathed the polished white reflective blade sticking the tip to one of the cuts on Natsu's arms to get a drop of blood.

Without hesitation, she then slit her left wrist and then brought the blade to her mouth, carefully licking the edge as she didn't want to cut her tongue. The blood mixed on her tongue. The strong metallic taste still churned her stomach, but at least it no longer made her gag.

While it was true she had an unusual ability for a demon, it was still a curse based on organic body link magic. She could heal the wounds of others at the expense of taking the damage herself. Though after years of healing Natsu's minor cuts and scrapes, she was able to gain more control of when it happened to her as long as it was within an hour window. If not, then it would be double what was inflicted originally.

She came to hate the ability that she sold her soul to Zeref for as she always had to use it on Natsu now and whatever whims he had about healing others, which usually was to prolong the torture of others. Though thankfully for her, he rarely partook of that particular activity. Still, this wasn't her intention when she sold her soul to Zeref, but she couldn't dwell on the thought. The wounds on her heart and soul were all too fresh even after all these years that had passed.

She felt her chest contract for a moment from the stinging of the wounds on her heart, but she quickly pushed it away and locking it up once more. She mentally smoothed out the iron mask she wore to protect her heart and soul. She couldn't afford to be soft, or she wouldn't survive, though she was unsure if she wanted to live at all.

She knew Natsu did this for her suffering as well. Forcing her to heal him so that she would also have to endure the marks, scrapes, and wounds. Though she hardly had the will left to defy him after all the years of Natsu keeping her under his control. His punishments could be quite severe and cruel. She was just sick of it all and his games and wanted it all to end. However, she knew better that she would never be able to escape Natsu. If she ran, he would find her. If she killed herself, he would revive her. If she tried to kill him, he would stop her. The hopelessness of it was wearing her down.

Steam began to rise from the various cuts and slashes, with them slowly closing.

"You're getting better." Natsu offered a small amount of praise. Even if he could be cruel and sadistic, he also knew when to use the carrot. After all, Isa was probably one of the demons that he valued above the others.

Isa's eyes narrowed for a moment before laying the small blade down. She then pulled out a cloth bandage from her obi. She had learned to keep fresh bandages tucked away in obi along with a cloth for her tanto, for whenever Natsu needed her services.

After wrapping her wrist, she got up and walked over to the vanity. She picked up a clean cloth sitting next to the basin and carefully wiped away what little blood was left on the blade.

Natsu kept his eyes on Isa as a thought struck him. "Would you come to bed with me, Isa?" He wouldn't make it a demand or even control her against her will. The choice was entirely up to her, but he wouldn't be surprised in the least if she turned him down.

Isa tensed for a moment as a brief flash of fear consumed her causing her to break out in a cold sweat. She had no idea how she was supposed to answer and figured it had to be a test or just one of his whims. Isa quickly calmed herself and her shaking hands and glanced into the mirror, looking at Natsu.

Isa studied him for a moment, but he showed no real emotion or any hint of his intentions.

Natsu noticed her shaking hands and the sheen of sweat that now covered her. He wasn't sure if it was from fear, nervousness, or shyness. While he felt he has grown somewhat closer to Isa than any of the others, he knew perfectly how Isa felt and thought of him. So he leaned into she was shaking out of fear.

"I asked you a question, Isa," Natsu's voice was calm but chilling.

Isa bit her lip for a moment, her grip tightening on the cloth wrapped around her tanto.

She slowly took a deep breath. "I believe I will pass on the pleasure of having you," Isa tried to speak calmly and without emotion. She didn't want him to pick up that she was utterly repulsed by the idea. Her stomach churned from the brief thought of his hands on her. It left her with a feeling akin to disgust. She was his last choice, and it showed he was getting desperate to invoke some sort of emotion within himself.

Honestly, it was a bit amusing to Isa that he struggled so hard to have a connection or feel anything outside of apathy.

"Shame then, really." Natsu casually smirked. "You truly are perhaps the most beautiful demon," Natsu mused.

"I thank you, my master, for the compliment," Isa spoke flatly. Isa quickened her pace on wiping the blood from her blade.

Natsu laid back onto his bed, his knees and legs hanging over since his back was now healed. He figured he would stop taking others to his bed now since Isa had declined him. It somewhat irked him that she would deny him, and while she was beautiful, he doubted it would give him what he wanted. It was a waste of time to continue, and none of the others could fill the empty ache in his chest.

With nothing to do, he supposed he would go see what his brother had been up to this past year. Surely whatever had his attention for a year had to be somewhat entertaining.

"Do you know where Seraph is?" Natsu's voice was a bit muffled from where the curtains of his bed were drawn on the sides. He could link to his brother's mind, but he could feel the distance between the two of them. He was lazy and preferred not to spend his concentration on it, so he could think and ponder other things. Besides, he felt a trip to wherever he was could bring some entertainment.

"I believe he is to the east of here, in a village called Vondila in the small country of Bosco." Isa sheathed her blade and picked up the cloth she had used along with the other Natsu had earlier.

"Have Demi prepare a bath." Natsu couldn't be bothered to use his demon mastery to summon her, especially since all he had to do was ask. And asking was undoubtedly easier. "Have her to prepare my things as I'll be paying a visit to my _**dear**_ brother."

Isa didn't miss his sarcasm at the end as she knew quite well that Natsu thought of all the Etherious as nothing more than objects that were to serve him, including his brother.

"As you wish, my lord." Isa closed her eyes and bowed before she quietly left the room.

* * *

**-X377-**

**January 3** **rd**

Natsu walked up the muddy road towards the ruins of a small village where Seraph had taken up residence. From what he could see, it was a complete dump, and he couldn't believe someone like his brother who has a stick up so far up his ass that he would spend his days in squalor. There must be something within it to really entertain Seraph and hold his interest.

He breathed out a sigh, his breath turning into a puff from the cold air. While it was winter, the snow was melting, turning the dead and desolate landscape into a muddy, slippery mess.

Natsu's ears twitched as he heard some yelling echoed within the valley. Though he wasn't close enough to make out what was being said, Natsu had some guesses as to what it was as he knew his brother could at times be even more twisted than he was. Seraph really took pleasure in drawing out death, while Natsu would grow bored after a bit or just end it quickly to get it over and done with. He hardly ever himself drew out the death of someone else after he found torture didn't really do anything for him.

* * *

Freya sat at the edge of the small village quietly crying. She was so confused, lost, and in so much pain. She was struggling to accept this new reality of this place. One minute she is stumbling into the dead husk of Yggdrasil, and the next, hearing a voice of a goddess and taken here. She knew she was in the past, or so she assumed from what little information she had but still didn't know precisely how many years in the past.

What was she supposed to do here? What was the purpose of her being here? Though more importantly, the question weighing on her soul was, why couldn't she die? In between the flights she has taken in the skies, flying unrecognizable place to place, she's tried so many different ways to take her life.

She was exhausted, her blood loss taking a toll, especially since she had always been anemic, to begin with. Even still with it, she should have died that day on Tenroujima, and even now, as the blood loss alone should have pushed her to death. Even with her self-healing, there was just some barriers healing couldn't overcome, but yet she was cursed to live and continue on despite it.

She was hungry and so tired. She wanted to sleep, but nightmares consumed her not only with her eyes open but with them closed as well. All she could see was the moment of Acnologia's magic wiping Tenrou from existence and everything she loved with it.

Freya doubled, crossing her arms across her stomach, clenching her sides. Her forehead touching the muddy ground as water droplets hit her backside from the trees above as the snow melted.

She gritted her teeth in frustration and pain, crying out as pain continued to rack her body. Ever since she felt the connection to Natsu sever, this pain and rage was never-ending. Consuming her.

She had never wanted to kill so badly before. Still, she wanted nothing other than to rip Acnologia and Zeref to pieces. The death of Natsu and Fairy Tail was their sin to share. Even the death of her parents could be traced back to Zeref. Hatred for them turned all the memories she regained at that moment sour. All the memories she had of Natsu and Fairy Tail were so painful to bear now. Never had she wished for amnesia so strongly when it used to be the bane of her existence.

Time passed so slowly to her now it was agonizing.

* * *

Twilight was beginning to take hold on the valley and the small village, with Natsu standing a couple of steps outside of it. He wanted to roll his eyes seeing his brother's vanity on full display in the middle of the street. He had made himself a throne out of bones and had people gathered around him kneeling as he berated them.

It was also a display of Seraph's jealously over Natsu being the master. If Natsu wasn't so damn curious as to what has held his attention for so long, he wouldn't have bothered coming all this way. He found Seraph's pettiness, jealously, and arrogance so exhausting. Always trying to prove he was better. Always trying to prove he was more deserving of something, Natsu wasn't sure. Reverence? The answer alluding him.

As Natsu strolled through the center of the narrow street, his boots sinking in the mud with each step. As he got closer, he saw Seraph had destroyed what seemed to have been a statue of something long forgotten with his throne on top of it.

Seraph's eyes caught the pink hair, grabbing his attention. His insults falling short on his tongue as he curiously looked at Natsu approaching him.

"Ah, well, if it isn't my older brother," Seraph spoke in a mocking tone.

Natsu stuffed his hands into the pockets of his pants, glad he hadn't chosen anything he particularly liked since it was getting ruined by the mud. A pungent stench of rot and shit soon filled his nose, making him regretting his decision even more to come.

"Is that any way to speak to your _**master**_?" Natsu raised an eyebrow as he looked around at the thin bodies that were as still as statues. None of them dared to look up at either of them.

"Ah, you must forgive me for my lack of manners. I must have spent too much time with this filth." Seraph's tone changing to neutral as he kicked up mud, causing it to hit a young little girl kneeling directly front in the center of him.

"Why are you then?" Natsu looked around once again. It was just rubble of buildings, none with roofs and scorch marks on the side. He could feel faint traces of Seraph's cursed flames lingering on them.

Seraph thought for a moment. He didn't want his entertainment to be taken from him if he divulged the truth but knew his brother would discover it either way.

"They are draconic, aren't they?" Natsu looked at the girl that Seraph kicked mud at. He hadn't paid much attention at first, but now he could feel what they were. It was difficult to put into words, but it was easy to tell apart who was human, draconic, or demon. Each just felt different, even if they could all look human.

"I've been traveling around a bit, as you can tell by how far I am from home. Spending my time..."

"You mean wasting your time," Natsu cut him off and corrected him.

Seraph audibly sighed as he tapped his fingers against the ivory-colored draconic bones. "I don't see how killing them is wasting my time."

"Kill them and be done with it. Stop at playing to rule over them." Natsu's red eyes darkened as again his twin was trying to prove he was superior, and it irked Natsu in ways he couldn't describe. "That ridiculous chair that's masquerading as a throne looks as uncomfortable and laughable as the idea of you being better than me."

"Now, now. You shouldn't put down their craftsmanship," Seraph chuckled. "After all, they worked tirelessly stripping their kin down to their bones."

Seraph's words caused the little girl to clasp her fists even harder, the grittiness of the ground working its way under her nails. Her body froze when she realized a gasp had escaped her mouth when she felt a boot kick the back of her. It knocked the breath out of her, and she struggled to support the newfound weight bearing down on her.

"Who said you could move?!" Seraph's voice suddenly booming and echoing within the valley. His irritation and anger over how Natsu was speaking to him clearly showing.

"You've always been an unstable mess," Natsu clicked his tongue, looking away in disgust over his twin's actions. It was hard for him to believe they had been born, created from the same thing.

Natsu's words clearly strike a chord within Seraph. His red eyes began to glow, showing through his black bangs. He gritted his teeth as he pressed his boot even harder into the bony backside of the mud-covered girl.

Natsu kicked Seraph's boot off the girl while holding out his hand, black flames engulfing it. He was done with Seraph's game and was going to end it. Even if it did put this pitiful lot out of their misery.

Seraph turned his head away, biting his lower lip to hold his tongue. He was pissed over Natsu taking his fun away, how he spoke to him, treated him, but he wasn't about to anger his brother further. He knew better than anyone to not piss off his twin. He's seen what a pissed Natsu could do and how cruel he can be when he is. He didn't want to be the object of his rage, like so many before had been.

* * *

Freya had grown numb. She sat propped up against a leafless tree. The rough bark digging into her skin that was covered with mud that was beginning to dry and crack. Her eyes empty and glassed over as she stared out in front of her, dried tear marks marring her face.

She could feel how this world was writhing away. Magic was fading away from the earth. She was almost jealous of how it was dying and her lack of it. She felt so weak, unable to do anything else. Everything was draining her, and she felt her mind starting to fog over in confusion.

She couldn't piece together if this was Earthland and if she was in the past. How if it had once been this and how it was compared to her time.

Yggdrasil, the world she had searched for, was dead in this time and her time. She knew of the dragon civil war, and the Dragon King Festival, or Ragnarok as some knew it. History was spotty on what had happened as many historical records disappeared due to how conflict and war engulfed Earthland. She also knew that some believed it would happen again in their time, but it was just hearsay. Rumors and stories that were meant to entertain.

Her breathing slowed as her thoughts drifted as she tried to make sense of it. She hadn't run into any dragons if this was indeed centuries into the past. Honestly, she hasn't really seen anyone since she arrived. Just a lot of ruins, dried up, withered land.

She wasn't entirely sure how she ended up within this time. The book she had read at Granny's about Yggdrasil told of how the world tree was connected to time. Past, present, and future.

The words of the goddess rung in her ears. _"You will see him again."_ Freya scoffed at the words.

Natsu was dead. No matter how hard she wished that it wasn't true, no matter how hard she wanted to bring him back from the dead. There was no body left for her to bring him back. The connection between the two of them, silent and dead. Just like he was. There was no hope to see him again.

She didn't know how Yggdrasil brought her here, much less how she could go back to her time. Back before the S-class trials. If only she could.

Her mind wandered to the technique that had haunted her for years. The most taboo of all magic. Life binding magic that brought back the dead. She had ignored its calling to her until it became unbearable, and she wrote it down. She remembered the day she had finished and bound the parchment together into a book. What had been the purpose that had driven her to write it when she couldn't use it, to begin with.

She didn't care if it was the most taboo and forbidden magic. She would use it in a heartbeat to bring everyone back. Even now, she would do anything to bring them back. To change their fate.

The only solace she had in their deaths is that it had been instant. They probably didn't feel what had hit them, as their bodies vaporized instantly along with the island.

Freya closed her weary, sunken eyes. Slowly breathing out.

A realization slowly dawned on her. Could she even change the past? It has already happened, at least for her, in her time. Or what if she did something within this era that would radically change the future? What if any action she did within this time kept Natsu from being born? Or them meeting? Or Fairy Tail never becoming a guild. There were a million possibilities, and she just didn't know. Time was something she didn't have the knowledge of. Not to mention time could and was so complex.

Her stomach growled, and the hunger pains came back with a vengeance. She hasn't eaten since that day. She was slowly starving but again unable to die. Bile threatened to spew up into her dry mouth from her empty stomach.

With weak and trembling arms, she reached up with both hands grabbing a fistful of hair growling out in frustration.

As a few seconds past her arms fell to her side, touching the ground as she resigned herself to her new fate of suffering. It seemed there was nothing she could do except trying to find a way that would grant her death. How she ached and yearned to see Natsu and Happy along with everyone else in the afterlife.

As her thoughts calmed down, her heart slowed down almost painfully. Her breath freezing in her lungs as she came to the realization she wasn't alone. She cursed her ability to sense others through the earth, but it wasn't as clear as it used to be. It was muddied just like the ground.

Not wanting to meet anyone within this world or for them to stumble upon her, she knew she needed to leave. She knew she was so low on magic, and her body was taxed that she didn't have a lot of options.

Slowly she pulled herself up and began making her way to them, but she was wary. She felt something akin to Lullaby, Deliora, and someone felt similar to Zeref but different somehow. Though she remembered how Natsu would at times as well, so she hoped that perhaps they weren't a bad person. There was also that sect of demons on Galuna Island, and they had been friendly and kind.

She needed food and somewhere to rest for a bit, hoping it would give her a minute of reprieve. While she was so low on magic, she thought that maybe she could offer her abilities as a healer and doctor to get the things she needed. She knew she had to be careful since her magic was low, and it seemed to replenish slowly in this time due to the low amount of ethernano in the air and earth around her. Not only that, but she could change the future by doing this.

But the thought occurred to her that perhaps this has happened all before, and now it was again. Maybe she was stuck in a loop which made it seem even more pitiful. She felt trapped if it was true, and she could only wonder what she had done to deserve such a fate.

" _Maybe vaporizing those who killed my parents when my magic when out of control."_

Tears formed in her eyes, but she held them back as she didn't want that memory to take hold of her again. She was now thankful for her younger self, forgetting that such a thing had happened, but it wasn't like she had a choice then. The whole situation had been out of her hands, much like how everything else seemed to be for her.

She made it to the edge of the small forest as she wasn't in it very deep, to begin with. She could see the ruined buildings. As she stood on the edge of the forest, she could see the center of town, and her heart dropped.

Before she could think, her body moved on its own. Her draconic form taking hold as she lept into the air. She held out one arm, instantly calling her vines to erupt from below in a blaze of flames coming into life to constrain the one sitting on a grotesque throne of bones.

Her eyes narrowed upon seeing the pink-haired man and thought, what are the odds? She knew there was no way it could be him. _"Just someone with a similar hair color."_ Though the black flames that engulfed his arm were beginning to make her second guess. She had seen Natsu use them before.

Before Natsu could bring his hand down to kill the girl with his flames, he saw vines made of brilliant golden red flames and flowers suddenly entangling his twin. Before he could turn his head, he was tackled to the ground rolling in the gritty mud.

Seraph hissed in pain as the green flowery vines had a golden flame humming from them, burning him. Not only was he baffled as to how fire could burn him, but he was also enraged that someone dared to harm him. How did someone get the drop on both him and especially his brother? He had only seen a blur fly by his eyes. Straining to turn his head, his red eyes widen upon seeing _what_ it had been—a draconic.

Freya felt herself sliding across the mud and recalled her wings to keep them from being broken. However, once she looked at who was pinning her to the ground, she felt the whole world crashing around her.

"Natsu?" Freya's shaking voice barely spoke in a whisper. Her red dragon eyes slowly began to fade back into their soft glowing golden amber. Tears started to form in her bloodshot eyes.

Natsu could hardly contain his anger over the audacity of someone attacking him, but more importantly, he felt something as he looked into the stranger's eyes. Something he hadn't before.

She was a draconic. The more Natsu starred with his narrowed red eyes into her amber ones, time began to slow down. Everything was drowned out by the sound of his heart beating rapidly in his chest. His lungs began to burn as he forgot to breathe.

Natsu's eyes instantly widen, his red eyes briefly darkening. He knew what this was, and he immediately cursed it and hated it. No one would control him, much less some stupid draconic bond.

Slowly Freya's draconic transformation came undone, and she slowly began to reach up to touch Natsu's face, calling his name once more. Her eyes softened as the first smile came across her face in what felt like ages. The screaming pain that had been racking her body since his death was still strangely pulsing through her body. The mating bite in the curve of her neck and shoulder throbbed and burned.

Even if her pain wasn't stopping, she knew, knew better than anyone it was him. She had seen those red eyes before. The black flame curse marks that were slowly disappearing from his face.

"I found you again," Freya's voice cracked, and before her fingertips could touch his face, he slapped her arms away and swiftly got up.

Freya felt the sting on her arms from being slapped away but what hurt more was the crack she felt within her soul. It vibrated within her. Her eyes became red again as her face fell flat. She gritted her teeth as she didn't understand.

"How do you know me?" Natsu's voice was low, almost too quiet. He didn't want Seraph to hear him but knew she would. His brows furrowed as he watched her eyes become red again.

He knew of the draconic. How they were born and blessed with their magic at birth, their hybrid dragon forms, their mating bonds, and how they could be born with certain types of knowledge. He knew their language and writing systems. After all, Zeref, the one who made him was draconic, and Zeref had for whatever reason deemed it necessary for him to be born with this knowledge of them.

However, Natsu was perplexed as to why her eyes were red. Red eyes meant enragement, and enragement meant their mate was dead. Yet he was apparently her mate, and he was alive. Not only that, she knew him. Though she acted like she hasn't seen him in some time.

Freya was unsure how to answer the question, but her heart had jumped at his voice. The same voice that used to make her heart soar.

"I…" Freya's lip quivered as she looked away from his gaze. Her eyes burned from her tears spilling out, her chest heaved, and suddenly it was beginning to get harder to breathe. "You're..." Freya could hardly speak the words, but she wouldn't lie to him. "My ma..." Her voice cracked but was silenced.

Suddenly Natsu knelt down, covering her mouth as she was speaking a little too loud. He knew if Seraph knew the truth, he would try to use it against him in some way. Though it's not like he particularly cared what happened to this draconic woman.

"Shut up," Natsu instructed her, keeping his voice steady and low. "You're being too loud."

Seraph could see they were talking, which was strange to him. Usually, Natsu would have killed whoever attacked him. Though he didn't care for that much at the moment as the vines continued to hold him in place. The more he struggled, the tighter and hotter they became. He had tried using his own fire to burn them away, but strangely they remained completely unaffected.

He had yet to see magic like it before, and it struck a certain curiosity mixed with fear within him. His skin was slowly turning red where the flowery vines came into contact with steam and smoke rising. The smell was a bit much for him as the flowers smelled disgustingly too sweet.

Most annoyingly to him, everyone that he had gathered beforehand had cleared out once they had realized he and Natsu were a bit occupied. He was undoubtedly going to drag their deaths out now against the wishes of Natsu.

Natsu slightly turned his head and saw Seraph had still yet to break free of his bindings. He raised an eyebrow questioningly but returned his gaze back to the draconic.

Freya's eyes had wandered to who Natsu had been looking at. Her eyes widened in a mixture of shock and horror. She had seen them before when Lucy had accepted the request for her to play at a dinner party. _"Edan?"_ He had terrified her then, and seeing him again, brought that familiar feeling back. The sense of dread and horror from the illusions and visions she had seen. Someone who had looked like Natsu but with black hair and the sadistic and twisted Natsu she knew. Was all of this just some sick and horrible nightmare?

"Don't you _**dare**_ say what I am to you," Natsu warned her as he knelt closer to her, his hot breath fanning over her face. He felt her beginning to tremble under his hand. "Just who the hell are you?" He lifted his hand from her mouth to allow her to speak.

Freya sucked a sharp breath in. "Frey... Freya Aesir Dragneel." She spoke so softly, the puff of air that escaped her lips blown away by a chilly wind.

Natsu got up so quickly as if her words burned him, shaking slightly as he did so. He quickly turned away, not wanting to know anymore. He wanted to believe the name she had told him was a lie, but something deep within in just knew it was the truth.

"Release him," Natsu spoke as he continued walking away from her. Whatever she had done to Seraph, he knew he couldn't undo it, or that's the feeling he got from her magic.

Natsu paused for a moment waiting for her vines to release Seraph, which they did. The vines and flowers shimmering away in a golden flame, causing a puff of smoke. "Never show yourself to me again." Natsu's voice was cold and uncaring.

Freya propped up on her arms, watching as Natsu walked away from her. She wanted to scream for him to come back to her. She wanted to tell him how much she loved him and how happy she was to see him. The words remained frozen in her throat as she felt like she was dying a second time.

Seraph quickly got up and began walking quickly towards the girl. His blood veins were visible from his anger. Angry over the red blisters and burn marks across his skin that had been exposed to the vines.

Natsu reached out, grabbing Seraph's arm. "We're leaving." Natsu's demonic form coming out with him stretching his wings outward. Before Seraph could say or do anything, Natsu had already taken control of his mind to prevent any sort of protest.

Freya watched the two demons fly away, the village now silent. As Natsu got further and further away from her, she let out a chilling scream.

Natsu looked over his shoulder, still flying away, unknowing he was leaving her alone for the second time in her life. He felt a pang in his heart, something he never felt before but something he wouldn't dwell on. He would leave her there and her memory there in the crumbled ruined village.

* * *

**Dictionary:**

**Vondila :** Lost a child

 **Demi :** Half or small

 **Yukata :** The best way I know to describe it is that it's a kimono, but made for summer weather. It's made of cotton. It generally can be plain or cute/summer designs on them.

 **Tanto :** Can look like a katana in design, but small like a knife.

 **Obi :** A sash/belt of varying sizes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to apologize for how long it took for me to get this chapter out. I don't have the stamina I used to have to sit up and write like I used to. So it takes me a little while to write as I have to do it here and there. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.
> 
> The next couple of chapters will still mostly be focusing on Natsu in the past before we move onto the future where Natsu has changed, the era of Freya's birth, and them meeting for the "first" time. It will still be a bit before we get to them being in Fairy Tail together. I don't want to skip as much as I did last time with this rewrite, even if it takes longer. But I hope you will enjoy it nonetheless!

**Author's Note:**

> There is a fanart I had commissioned years ago. It's of Natsu and Freya with Natsu being 17-18 and Freya being 16. 
> 
> https://www.deviantart.com/xiafei/art/Commission-Pinkusagi07-685114256


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